After asking teachers at Emerson Junior-Senior High School about any advice they could offer to future college students, many had similar responses. The interviewed teachers talk about advice, mistakes, travel opportunities, and unique experiences that they will never forget. 

Ms. Rojas, a Design, Photography and Yearbook teacher at EHS, touches on the topic of simply being happy in the moment. 

“Don’t try and figure out the rest of your life all at once. Hobbies change, interests change, and it’s part of the beauty of life and growing up.” She explains the importance of keeping an open mind and emphasizes the fact that everything will work itself out in the end. 

“I think that many times, seniors get wrapped up in getting to the ‘right’ college, when in reality, you are going to end up exactly where you’re supposed to,” says Ms. Murphy, an English and Journalism teacher at EHS. She says that there is plenty of time to figure out what you want to do or be before you graduate. 

Ms. Murphy also emphasized how it is completely normal to not have it all figured out- she was still torn between two different career paths up until the last week of her senior year!

College is an enormous change for students, and it takes some time to figure things out before you can thrive. There will be mistakes and maybe regrets, but what matters most is how you react to them and learn from those experiences. 

When asked about time management tips and how to avoid procrastination, Ms. Rojas responded with a story that heavily contributed to her success. She had pulled an all-nighter for a project that was due, and ultimately learned that college is way too expensive to not take it seriously. 

“[The professor] crumbled my project in front of the class because it was thrown together last minute. He told me to stop wasting his time.” 

Every semester after that, she had made the dean’s list and realized that college is the time to mature-not joke around. 

Mr. Schama, a Computer Science and Coding teacher at EHS, made a point that is very important for students to know, especially if they are tempted to cut class. 

“Don’t cut class! No matter how tempting it may be, you are throwing away money!,” says Mr. Schama. Although calculations may vary, if you do the math, it shows that each class you cut could cost over $100. This can be found by taking the cost of each course and dividing it by the number of classes you have in that course. Attending office hours and study groups are also both highly recommended.

The importance of networking is another topic that many teachers mentioned the importance of. 

“You never know who someone knows. A lot of where I ended up, and jobs that I’ve had were because of the people that I networked with, or people that knew people. Don’t ruin those connections,” said Ms. Rojas. Many people have heard of the phrase: “it is not what you know, it is who you know.” As more and more stories are shared about how networking has led to jobs and opportunities, it is a piece of advice that is recommended to remember. 

Ms. Bieber, a Business teacher at EHS, recommends that college students become involved in clubs, social, and professional fraternities/sororities, as soon as possible, even your freshman year. 

“This is a great way to develop a network and have contacts who can assist you after graduation… Eventually, you will feel comfortable in these situations and will be able to converse comfortably with recruiters.”

Ms. Bieber shared a story about her travel abroad experience in Braunschweig, Germany. Her and several college friends got to meet so many people from countries such as Spain, Italy, France, Turkey, Russia, and Uzbekistan. 

“To this day, it is one of the best things I have ever done as an individual. And, I still keep in touch with some of the people I met in the program.”

College is an experience that students will remember for the rest of their lives. It will be a time for self-discovery, meeting new people, traveling, educating, and many more unforgettable experiences. Ms. Rojas concluded with memorable final words: “People can give you advice and recommend tips but it’s really just you, realizing it’s time to grow up and be an adult.”